No Time
by DumplingSoup
Summary: The story is based off the idea that while the powers of the kwami can protect their owners while transformed from injuries, injuries that occur outside of when they transform cannot be protected. Heavy Angst.


Tikki screamed at Marinette. She shook her whole body in protest, watching the red liquid ooze out of the side of her owner. Marinette cringed, kicking the iron poles back even further as she stood up. She placed a hand at her side. When she pulled it back, it was covered in red.

It was an unfortunate accident for one favored with luck. Marinette told herself that the luck she had was that she didn't die and only got a puncture wound. After all, who would have thought the poles would come falling down like that?

"It's dangerous," the kwami pleaded. "Your body won't hold up even with my magic protecting you, Marinette. It'll only be a matter of minutes before your body won't be able to take the stress anymore."

But Marinette shook her head. She looked straight into her kwami's blue eyes that were trickling with tears and rubbed one of her fingers down her face.

"Who else is going to protect everyone?" Marinette asked. "Chat is there. He needs me. I'm the only one who can get rid of the akuma, you know that."

Her voice was soft. Airy. It struck a cord in Tikki's heart. More tears fell down her face, but knowing that ultimately she had no choice, she nodded her head. She closed her eyes, trying her hardest to wash away the images of what state Marinette would be reduced to after this.

The transformation was easy, just like Marinette had expected. Her body was heavy still, but it was light enough that she could stand on her feet again. She rushed to Chat's side, calling out his name like a dying scream.

He turned to her, his eyes wide when he saw her. Frozen in place, he could only watch as she jumped ahead of him, ready to take on the world. She pulled out her yo-yo, striking down the multitude of enemies before her with ladylike grace. Even the backlash from the weapons didn't seam to phase her.

Or Chat thought until he saw her legs wobble. It started with a slight trip then as she wrapped her yo-yo around a sword and pulled, the shaking in her legs increased to the point of looking like a string being vibrated. She could barely stand.

Something wasn't right. It kicked on inside of him—some internal instinct to protect her. He jumped next to her as a sword clashed with his baton. Ladybug jumped, her grip lost on her yo-yo that returned to her hand.

"Go," Chat said. "I'll distract these guys."

Ladybug did just as she was told. Wasted no time rushing for the akumanized victim. It didn't even take her Lucky Charm to get the necklace. Chat had already done that for her. All she had to do was have a race.

Trowing her yo-yo up as she ran, she screamed for her Lucky Charm. Ladybug slowed down when she saw a pencil in her hand, but with time running out, she coudn't stop.

Stop.

And then it hit her. She threw the pencil at the akumanized villian. Without warning, he stepped on it and slipped. But he was fast on his feet and got back up, but not before Ladybug was able to take a small lead. It was all she needed—a few seconds.

Her sides screamed out. From the corner of her eyes, she could see a large black spot expanding from her side. Terror struck her as she ran, know just how bad her injury must be to bleed through Tikki's magic. Even she knew that it was only a matter of seconds to finish the job now before it was too late.

She jumped when her eyes made contact with the supervillian. Her heart pounded hard against her chest as she wrapped the necklace in her hand and tumbled away. With a quick flick of her wrist, she threw the necklace on the ground, shattering the gem and sending a blackened butterfly fluttering out of the object.

A white light washed over the city as Ladybug finished. The soldiers returned to the sticks that they were, clattering to the floor.

Chat cheered. They'd won another fight.

A shiver ran down his spine as he heard Ladybug's groan. He turned his head and his blood ran cold. His partner—his lady—lay there on the cold ground. She wasn't moving, and Chat moved to run to her side. He stopped only a second later as a pink glow floated around Ladybug.

And he saw her for the first time—the girl behind the mask. The one that he loved with his whole heart turned out to be the stuttering and bubbly girl who sat behind him in class. The girl that he respected her leadership abilities. The girl he considered one of his true friends.

He saw her laying in a pool of her own blood.

Marinette's hands were gripped at her sides. Her chest heaved up and down in short breaths. And all but suddenly, she stilled, settling against the cement beneath her.

Chat rushed to her. He picked up her body in his hands. It was limp. No matter how many times he told himself it was a dream and kept blinking, she was still there. It wans't until Tikki's drifted through his ears did he snap out of his trance.

"She isn't breathing, Chat."

His world was crumbling. The walls of pretend that he put up were crumbling. He wasn't okay. Pain. Discomfort. Insecurity. It all rushed back to him in a flood. Ladybug was the one person who seemed to lull all of it. To numb him of his problems. Finally he'd founder her—the woman of his dreams—and yet why was she the one who was hurt?

Why was she the one who was taking all the pain?

He bent down, pushing his hands against her rib cage. When that wasn't working, he tilted her head back, grabbing her chin to to raise it. He breathed hard into her.

 _Breath, he thought. Breath. Breath. Please just breath._

There was bitterness in his thoughts as he repeated the action again and again. He'd never forgive himself—or her—if she died here on him.

"Marinette." His voice came out more as a sob. "Marinette, please. Not like this. Not like this, please. I need you."

Once again he interlaced his fingers together on top of her chest and pushed with the palm of his hand. Down and up. Down and up. And still again, he bent down, tilted-and-lifted as he breathed as much air into her as he could manage.

He didn't even notice that by this point he'd transformed back into Adrien. All his focus was on Marinette as he desperately pleaded with the unconscious girl under him.

She coughed. Her face scrunched in pain. At her side, her fingers once again coiled into fists. Her eyes opened for a brief moment as she struggled for air.

Adrien knew her lungs were failing. That she was probably wondering what he was even doing or if it was all a dream. How much he'd love to hold her in his arms, tell her it wasn't a dream, and that he was really right there next to her.

But time was running out. He did take her in his arms, though, but only thoughts of death and panic filled his thoughts. There was no time; he had to hurry and get her to a hospital.

There wasn't time.

Just like last time.

He hoped with everything in him it wouldn't be another repeat—another scare on his heart he'd have to struggle with everyday.

"It'll be okay," Adrien murmured into her ear as a salty tear splattered on her cheek. "I promise."


End file.
